Our 5 tips to choosing your Freeride skis

You want to buy a pair of skis dedicated to freeride? You're struggling to understand what is going on with all the technologies? You do not know which radius to choose? Here are some tips to help you make your decision and select the skis that suit you best.

1) Select your skis according to your off piste level

It is important to choose a ski that suits your level, in order to enjoy yourself and make the most out of skiing without getting tired.

Newbie: You're managing on the slopes and you like practicing skiing in all conditions. Sometimes you ski next to the slopes, never too stiff.

Intermediate: You’re starting to feel the real thrills of off-piste skiing, you feel more comfortable doing turns in fresh snow, not too steep.

Confirmed: Regardless of the stiffness, you are able to go anywhere; you’re willing to hunt for the best fresh snow to make the first tracks.

Expert: You ski in extreme conditions, you ride in any conditions or snow, and you’re a powder addict, love jumping cliffs and long hikes.

2) Select the right camber for your skis

The camber is the longitudinal of the ski. The zone called Rocker is the part raised relative to the snow.

Depending on the camber of the skis, the reaction will be different. A rocker tip will allow the ski to come out more easily in fresh snow and thus provide better flotation, while a rocker on the back of the ski allows for better manoeuvrability in powder.

3) Give importance to the weight of your skis

The weight of a ski is very important, the more a ski is heavy, the less it will be easy to use and it will be less reactive. It is then necessary to find a compromise between lightness and rigidity: choose light skis but still stiff enough for the pow.

Rossignol’s Air Technology Tip reduces the weight of the skis where it is least needed (tip and tail) while maintaining optimum comfort practice. The gravity center of the ski is then concentrated under the skier's foot.

4) Select the waist width according to your ski habits

Freeride skis have a waist wider than the skate ski track. Generally referred to as dedicated to freeride skis starting at 90-95 mm waist.

The larger the waist is, the better the lift in deep snow will be, so it will be easier and less tiring for the skier to stay on the surface. On the other hand, skiing is less sharp and less manoeuvrable.

For example Enak Gavaggio and Sam Favret chose the Squad 7 because they use it mainly for freeride. However, for an optimal compromise between track and off the track, they advise without hesitation the Soul 7 with 106 mm waist width. It has the same technology and Air tip Powder Turn Rocker but is comfortable on hard snow.

5) Select the size of your skis

Once you have chosen a ski it is necessary to choose the size. Usually, it will be easier for a beginner with a smaller ski then that expert skiers, who will prefer a longer ski for more lift and stability at high speed skiing.

Rossignol’s 7Series Skis using the Powder Turn Rocker technology can be matched with the size of the skier. Indeed, this technology allows the rocker to start closer to the foot; the contact point with the snow will be closer to the ski boot than a traditional ski.

To determine your ideal ski size, please refer to our size guide.

So take your time to choose your skis and keep in mind what is going to be your everyday use.